Article of manufacture



May 31, 1938. A. N. sPANEL ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE Filed June 25, i934INVENTOR /VSjuzz 7 i,

TORNEY Patented May 31, 1938 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to the packaging of goods for merchandisingpurposes and more particularly to the packaging of small articles thatare displayed in trays, boxes or racks in comparative abundance and inattractive style, and it has for its general object to provide such apackage for bathing caps and similar light flexible articles, whichpackage will be pleasing to the eye, compact, simple to prepare and willserve to protect the contents. ends, the invention resides in certainimprovements and combinations-of parts, all as will be hereinafter morefully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims atthe end of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bathing cap package, complete,constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bathing cap flattened out before it isshaped into a ball and showing an edge turned back at the head opening;

Fig. 3 is a, vertical section through the package taken centrallythrough the body thereof;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal or transverse section therethrough taken on theline 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View illustrative of the manner in which the capis folded and rolled;

Fig. 6 is a greatly reduced plan of the casing v sheet.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view illustrating a different way ofmanipulating the cap prior to rolling or folding it; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are side elevations of slightly modified packages.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate thesame parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, as above stated, a bathingcap I suitable for packaging in accordance with my invention is shown inFig. 2 and comprises a thin rubber protective covering for the head andhair, the head opening being indicated at 2 and the crown at 3. Inpractice, I first fold the sides of the cap inwardly toward a medianline extending from the crown to the head opening into a multiplicity oflayers until ithas the form of a relatively narrow strip composed ofsuperposed double folds, the said median line being indicated by the dotand dash line in Fig. 2. The width of this built up strip, as shown inFig. 5, determines the height of the body of the package. The crownportion 3 is at one end of the strip and the head opening por- To theseand other,

(Cl. 20G-46) tion 2 at the other. I next roll the strip thus formed intoa tight ball beginning the roll as indicated in Fig. 5 at the crown endso that, as the rolling proceeds toward the opposite open end, allcontained air will be expelled. The re- 5 sulting full roll thusresembles a ball because its length and its diameter are about equal.Instead of rolling, the strip may be folded transversely upon itself aplurality of times.

In this condition, the case or wrapper is ap- 10 plied. This preferablyconsists of a sheet 4, as shown in Fig. 6, of transparent flexibleair-proof material such as regenerated cellulose. The ball is placed inthe center of this and the edges brought up around it and pinchedtogether at one end to constitute the puckered portion 5 which ispreferably at the side adjacent to the head opening 2 so that onlyfolded edges of the crown will be visible on the opposite side. A cord,rubber band or similar constricting element 6 is nally bound tightlyaround the puckered portion and the sealing of the goods is complete buttheir color or pattern is still discernible.

In addition to the foregoing, I prefer to supply a further element thatis both useful and adds to the pleasing appearance of the article. Whenthe rolling or folding of the folded strip is started, I insert andanchor in the axial center thereof one end of a narrow flexible strip ofmaterial 1, which may also be composed of Vcolored regeneratedcellulose, and the other end of which ultimately projects through thepuckered portion 5 and its constricting member, beyond the edges of thewrapper. I'his provides a convenient means of picking a selected packageout of a tray or group and may be contrastingly colored merely forornamental purposes or to indicate a characteristic of the contents ofthe package.

Instead of folding the cap into a strip prior to rolling, as indicatedin Fig. 5, the cap may be 40 twisted, beginning at the crown 3, into astrip of generally cylindrical form shown in Fig. 7. By twisting the capinto cylindrical form in this manner, the entrapped air is expelledtherefrom. Thereafter the cap, thus twisted, is rolled or foldedbeginning with the crown, into a balllike body which can be encased inthe wrapper 4 as previously described.

In Fig. 8 there is illustrated a different Way of attaching the handlingstrip 1 to the package. 50 In this modification the lower end of thestrip is inserted between the outside of the wrapper 4 and theconstricting element 6. Otherwise the package is the same as that shownin Fig. 1.

If desired the constricting element 6 may be 55 omitted as shown in Fig.9, and instead the lower end of the handling element 'I is tied tightlyaround the puckered portion 5 of the package. Except for this dierencethe package is the same as that described above.

A merchandising article constructed in accordance with my invention asabove described may be made, as to its body portion, about the size of awalnut and many of them can be packed together in a small space witheach in plain View and subject to instant and convenient inspectionwhile the wrapper protects the rubber article therein from becomingsoiled.

What I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a bathing cap package embodying, incombination, a cap made of waterproof material folded laterally inmultiple into a narrow strip and rolled longitudinally from the crownportion toward the head opening into the approximation of a ball, aexible case enclosing the latter and formed of a sheet having its freeedges puckered, and a constricting element encircling the puckeredportion.

2. As an article of manufacture, a bathing cap package embodying, incombination, a cap made of Waterproof material folded laterally inmultiple into a narrow strip and formed longitudinally from the crownportion toward the head opening into the approximation of a ball, aflexible transparent case enclosing the latter and formed of a sheethaving its free edges puckered, a constricting element encircling thepuckered portion and a flexible manipulating strip having its inner endanchored in the ball and the other end projecting through the puckeredportion and beyond the constrcting element, whereby the package presentsan attractive over-all eiect.

ABRAHAM N. SPANEL.

